


Best Served Cold: The Aftermath

by TextheTallOne



Series: Appearances series [3]
Category: Magnificent 7 ATF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-02
Updated: 2012-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-13 08:58:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/501733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TextheTallOne/pseuds/TextheTallOne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Team Seven made their point and got revenge on the pranksters... but calling off the game suddenly gets complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best Served Cold: The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to Appearances Are Everything? and Best Served Cold ....

Best Served Cold -- The Aftermath

by Tex Zavaleta

 

_Sequel to Best Served Cold_

_which was a sequel to Appearances Are Everything?_

 

Chris Larabee had sent all his men off in various directions to, as Judge Travis put it, "put an end to it"-- meaning basically to call off the troops who'd been aiding Team Seven in teaching Wilson and Stewart a lesson.  He'd finally settled down to finishing up some paperwork and hoped he would be uninterrupted for the rest of the afternoon.

 

He really should have known better. 

 

Without even a knock, his doorway was suddenly filled by both Nathan Jackson and JD Dunne as they tried to enter simultaneously. After a momentary fumble they both made it inside the office to stand before his desk and regarded him with uneasy expressions that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

 

As if they'd rehearsed it, they blurted out in unison, "Chris, we got a problem." They turned to frown at each other then looked back to Larabee.

 

The team leader drove his fingers up through his blond hair and let go with a sigh. "What? No, wait--" He held up a hand. He let out a piercing whistle that brought the rest of the team to the doorway. The other four, who'd returned from their assignments without incident, came into the office, arranged themselves along the wall near the door and prepared to listen. "Okay, now... what's the problem?"

 

Jackson and Dunne looked at each other, nodding to the other to go on...then spoke in unison again. "We got a problem...."  They ground to a halt and stared at each other.

 

Chris sighed again then growled, "JD, you start. What's the problem?"

 

"Mrs. Tidwell," Dunne gulped. "I tried to tell her we needed to stop picking on Wilson and Stewart..."

 

"And?" Larabee prompted impatiently. He knew Teresa "Tessa" Tidwell, the head of clerical administration, was a formidable woman and frankly intimidated many people in the Federal Building-- hell, she even kept him on his toes--but he couldn't figure out why she would give JD a hard time.

 

Dunne gave a little shudder. "Before I could say much more than their names, she, uh, she just gave me 'the look'."

 

Seeing that Chris didn't seem to understand, Sanchez interjected, "I doubt he's ever seen it, JD. Chris, she has a 'look' that can say many things. It reminds many of us of former stern schoolteachers--"

 

"Librarians," Ezra added.

 

"Drill sergeants," Vin drawled with a snicker. "Hell, you get her worked up enough, her 'look' could mebbe outdo your glare." 

 

"Now, Mr. Tanner, that may not be fair," Standish interjected before Larabee could react.  "One being endothermic and the other exothermic, it would be hard to compare their effect or efficacy."

 

"What?" Buck asked.  In response to Ezra's raised eyebrow, he added, "I took chemistry. I know what the words mean. I just wondered which one you thought was which...." He glanced at Chris who'd focused the aforementioned glare on him then continued,  "On second thought, never mind. I know."

 

Nathan Jackson frowned repressively at all of them. "I think y'all are making that up. Mrs. Tidwell is efficient and professional. She's never given me any kind of unfriendly look."

 

There was a sudden outbreak of chuckles and snorts.

 

"Nathan, you may have never experienced it," Sanchez began.

 

"He's such a suck up," Buck muttered to JD, not _quite_ as under his breath as he thought.

 

Jackson glowered at Wilmington as Sanchez continued, "But that look of hers can be a warning and most wise men heed it, therefore it's not used often. And not used at all with people who are behaving properly."

 

"You've heard the expression 'a speaking look'?" Standish added.  "Upon one occasion, I witnessed her encounter with an encroaching sales representative. The look she gave him clearly stated 'Who are you and what right do you have to express an opinion?'. It was as clear as if she'd written it on the wall. He gave up his sales pitch and scurried out of the admin offices, figuratively, with his tail between his legs."

 

Vin, Buck, Josiah and JD all nodded agreement, while Jackson stared at them as if they had lost their minds.

 

"Never mind that," Larabee snarled. "Get back to the point. Nathan, why did YOU say we have a problem?"

 

Jackson refocused on his team leader and spoke just one word. "Inez."

 

Buck winced. "Ohhh, Inez."

 

"Inez?" JD asked, surprised.

 

Nathan responded uncomfortably, "She doesn't want to let it go either. She says she has the right to refuse service and... and then I'm not sure what all she said after that because she switched to Spanish, but she looked like a scalded cat. I left while she was still muttering to herself."

 

"And before she started throwing things?" Buck inquired with a knowing smirk. A wise man didn't push Inez too far either, especially within range of her throwing arm.

 

Tanner and Standish surreptitiously began trying to back out of the office door, only to find themselves speared by the white hot glare of their team leader.  The duo put on their most innocent expressions and froze in place.

 

Larabee bared his teeth at them. With an evil glint in his eye.

 

Tanner broke first. "What? We didn't do nothing." Standish jabbed him in the ribs with a discreet elbow, but it was too late. Tanner had opened the door.

 

Larabee sat back in his chair and relaxed into it, rather like a hungry puma

regarding a possible meal. "As I recall, it was _your_ bright idea to involve everyone else in the prank war."

 

Tanner blinked, unable to come up with an answer to that charge.  He turned blue eyes on Standish who huffed before responding for both of them.  "We fail to see how any blame can be attached to us for the recalcitrant nature of our fellow conspirators which is beyond our control."

 

"Yeah, what he said."  Tanner jerked a thumb in Standish's direction.

 

Larabee slowly got to his feet. Sanchez, Wilmington, and Jackson backed away, clearing a space between Larabee and his prey.  Dunne was too busy watching to think of self-preservation, so Wilmington hooked a hand through his elbow and towed him back out of the line of fire.

 

"I'm thinking you got us into this, you get us out," Larabee murmured menacingly. 

 

"I hardly think--"

 

Tanner wasn't one to continue fighting a battle he knew he couldn't win. He grabbed Standish's shoulder and said, "Come on, Ez. Let's go get things settled. Don't know why the cowboy sent boys to do a man's job anyhow."

 

Both JD and Nathan scowled at that comment. 

 

With a quick flash of a wicked grin, Ezra conceded Vin's point.  "Very well, Mr. Larabee, we will undertake to smooth things over with the ladies in question... provided we can also take JD along."

 

"Me? Why?"

 

Standish lifted an elegant eyebrow. "You will be our secret weapon, Mr. Dunne. If Mr. Tanner's laconic drawl and blue eyes and my charm and soothing words fail to accomplish our task, we will make use of the 'puppy dog eyes. You need the practice--"

 

"I don't want to hear it," Larabee hissed.  "Just deal with it before Judge Travis has to do something officially about the complaints from Wilson and Stewart. And everyone else--get back to work!"

 

Tanner, ignoring JD's bewildered protests, snagged Dunne's arm and dragged him out the door in Standish's wake.

 

************************

 

Mrs. Tessa Tidwell, acknowledged Queen of the Administrative/Clerical section of the ATF, was what Vincent Tanner would classify as a 'lady'. No one was quite sure of her age and no one had the nerve to ask but she was likely thirty-something, _maybe_ even forty-something. She was attractive but not pretty, extremely intelligent, practical and down to earth, organized, and polite at all times. She had a poker face that rivaled Ezra's and as Sanchez and the others said had a 'look' that could chill the blood in one's veins if one aroused her wrath. She would stand toe to toe with any opponent without regard to rank or position, respond calmly and not give ground in a disagreement,  and rarely raised her voice. She knew all the rules and regulations and could quote them... or find ways around them if it suited her purpose.

 

She protected her clerical workers with ferocity and demanded business like behavior and respect from everyone for herself and the workers she supervised. Those who were wise knew it was better to have her as a friend rather than an enemy as she was very well liked and respected by upper management as well as her subordinates. Since her promotion to head of the department four years ago, efficiency rates had gone up 37%, expenses had gone down 27% and employee satisfaction had improved remarkably.

 

She rarely let her personal life intrude at work and few knew much about it. It was common knowledge that though she wore a very nice diamond, platinum, and gold engagement/wedding ring set on her left hand she was a widow and that she had been very happily married until a sudden heart attack had taken her husband and left her childless and alone. This seemed to be one reason why she gave most of her attention to her work and her co-workers. This translated to many twelve hour days and not much of a social life. Though friendly she had no close friends in the Federal Building, but there were a few she called by their first names. JD Dunne was not one of them.

 

"Wait!" Dunne said, putting the brakes on by digging his heels into the carpet in the foyer just outside of the elevator on the fourth floor.  "I already tried talking to Mrs. Tidwell. What are we gonna do?  I don't want to go back in there."

 

"What exactly did you say, Mr. Dunne?"

 

Dunne took a moment to think about it. "I don't remember. I barely said anything..."

 

Standish sighed. "JD, we need to have some idea of what you said or did to set her off if we are going to make amends."

 

Dunne took another moment to recall. "I said good morning then said that Judge Travis wanted everyone to stop picking on Pete and Jinx...and that's when she gave me The Look...and I, uh, excused myself and went back to our office to tell Chris."

  
"You ran like a little kid?" Tanner demanded, voice on the rise.

 

The younger man fidgeted.  "She always makes me nervous, even on the phone, and if she was mad already, I didn't want to make it worse. I already feel bad that all this happened because of me."

 

Standish wanted to squash that idea immediately. He invaded the younger man's personal space and looked him directly in the eyes.  "Mr. Dunne, I want you to listen to me--and hear me very clearly. Are you listening?"

 

JD's eyes widened and he fought the urge to step back. "Yes."

 

"If you never learn another thing from me, learn and remember this: None of this was your fault. There is _no_ blame to attach to you. The sole authors of this miserable play were Wilson and Stewart. They started it with an asinine joke and if they had a modicum of good nature or good humor and weren't posturing, macho, immature imitations of men this would have ended very differently."

 

"What do you mean? I don't get it. How else could it have gone?"

 

Standish fought the urge to sigh...or throw up his hands. JD Dunne was very intelligent but didn't always know when to apply prior knowledge to a new situation, especially a personal one. He guided JD to the side of the foyer where there was a bench and gestured for him to take a seat. He sat next to Dunne and Tanner leaned on the wall on the other side of the bench.  

 

"Mr. Dunne, let's try another hypothetical situation." He waited for JD's nod before proceeding.  "Suppose that you, in an ill-advised fit of temper, played a mean-spirited practical joke on a member of another team--say for example, you chose Jack Bodell from Team Four. You pull a joke on him and he doesn't think it's funny."

 

"I wouldn't do that. John Black would kill me," JD murmured. It was a well known fact that John and Jack had a relationship very similar to that of Buck and JD. Protective was a bit of an understatement.

 

"Like we'd let him," Tanner muttered defiantly.

 

Standish tossed an exasperated look between the two of them. "You DO remember that this is a hypothetical situation?"

 

Tanner gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Ez."

 

Dunne shrugged. "So I pull a joke on Jack..."

 

Standish stifled his annoyance and got back on topic. "Let's make it both of you.  You and Vin pull a joke on Jack that embarrasses him and hurts his feelings. Jack and John confront you and make it clear they don't find it amusing. What would you do?"

 

JD pondered it a moment before replying. "Apologize?"

 

"Is that a question or an answer?"

 

"It's an answer," Dunne said more firmly. "I'd apologize."

 

"Good answer," Tanner stated with a nod of approval.

 

"That's what I would expect of you, Mr. Dunne. You will note that Wilson and Stewart did NOT apologize. They had no regard for anyone's feelings. If you had reacted the way they did, and Team Four had decided to get even with you and Vin by retaliating in kind, what would have been your response?"

 

Tanner started to answer, but Standish held up a hand. He knew that the sharpshooter would react appropriately, but Dunne needed to think it through.

 

"You mean after the first joke? Like the..." JD looked around and lowered his voice... "the stunt with the printers?" 

 

That had been the opening salvo.  Ezra nodded.

 

"Oh. Then if they'd pulled that on me and Vin, we'd have figured out that it had to have been revenge from John and Jack and we'd have gone to see them and told them that was a good one--then we'd apologize and that would be the end of it... I guess," JD responded hesitantly.

 

Tanner commented, "Exactly, JD. And if those sorry assholes had come to you...to us after that first prank, that would have ended the whole thing."

 

"But they didn't."

 

"Therefore, we escalated... as did they," Standish added. "A simple apology would have halted all hostilities by the second day... but neither was man enough to own up to his faults and in fact, they made it worse for themselves by their humorless reaction."

 

"Not to mention trying to jump Josiah in the gym," Tanner drawled. "Dumb asses."

 

"I was afraid the judge would ask more questions about that," Dunne confided.

 

"They weren't going to admit they got their asses whupped by an 'old man', JD, so they couldn't say much of anything. The only reason they said anything at all was 'cause everyone could see the results. I just wish I'd been there to get in a few licks."

 

"The judge was making a pro forma investigation at best. He didn't want to know all the details anyway. It's further proof, as if we needed any, that their judgment is suspect. Surely if they had eyes in their heads or ears to listen to office chatter, they'd know it is extremely unwise to rile Josiah to the point of violence. They should count their blessings that Nathan's cool head prevailed before excessive damage could be incurred."  Standish shook his head. "Of course, it was most disappointing that it was a spontaneous event and I was therefore unable to provide an audience and lay a few wagers."

 

"Who'd be stupid enough to bet on those two clowns?" Tanner scoffed.

 

"There is that. Oh well," Ezra sighed away his mild disappointment, "back to work. JD, you wait here while Vin and I talk to Mrs. Tidwell. I think you'll be of more use to us in dealing with Inez.  Mrs. Tidwell and I have established a rapport through our frequent interactions and she has a good opinion of Mr. Tanner as well." He didn't bother to explain that their 'frequent interactions' had usually been necessitated by frequent injuries that required clerical help to take dictation of their reports.

 

Mrs. Tessa Tidwell's office was just inside and to the right of the entrance to the department and the office door was open. She was sitting at her desk and typing away on the keyboard of her desktop computer.  Her dark brown hair was caught neatly into a braid that fell down her back almost to her waist.  When Vin and Ezra came in and stood in her doorway, she paused, removed her reading glasses, then folded her hands on the desk in front of her and adjusted her chair so the computer didn't block her view of both men. With a regal inclination of her head she gave them permission to seat themselves in the two chairs in front of her desk.

 

Tanner smiled as he sat and dipped his head respectfully as if tipping a hat, leaving it to Standish to do the talking.

 

"Mrs. Tidwell, and how are you this fine day?"

 

Those who knew what to look for, which included Ezra Standish, would have detected a twinkle of amusement in the brown eyes, though her face remained demure. "I'm fine, Mr. Standish. What can I do for you two today?"

 

He did like this lady. She always understood and appreciated his attempts at humor. Ezra raised an elegant eyebrow. "Never terrorize my teammate again?"

 

She bit her lower lip to stop a smile escaping and widened her brown eyes. "Do you have any particular teammate in mind?"

 

Tanner leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs at the ankle as he tilted his head back towards the entrance. "Mebbe the one who's peeking in the glass door to see if you've et us alive yet?"

 

"He is not," she denied reflexively.

 

Tanner leaned forward a bit and confided, "He thinks he's bein' sneaky."

 

Sure enough, a quick look revealed JD Dunne trying to peek through the glass without being obvious about it and pretending a nonchalance he couldn't quite carry off.  He noticed Ezra turning to look at him and quickly removed himself from sight, probably going back to the bench.

 

"Good Lord, Ezra, what _have_ you been telling the boy about me?" she protested. 

 

"Your reputation is the stuff of urban legends, my dear."

 

"JD's just been a bit wound up lately, Tessa," Tanner interjected.  "Couldn't even tell us what he said or did that made you give him 'the Look'."

 

She winced slightly. "I didn't mean to. He just caught me at a bad moment."

 

"Thought that was it," Tanner said with a trace of satisfaction. "You never talked to him in person before, huh?"

 

"No, only on the phone, and not often. Usually when someone needs something from Admin that can't be handled by phone, Mr. Larabee sends one of you or Mr. Jackson... for some reason," she added with a hint of a smile. Her smile dropped as she continued, "If you want to call him in, I will apologize."

 

Standish nodded in appreciation of her remorse. "Later. We still have not heard what perturbed you to such a degree. Did JD say something--"

 

Uncharacteristically, she interrupted snappishly. "No, of course not. All it took was the mention of the names of those two cretins." The frosty look was suddenly in evidence.

 

She was not one to take umbrage at petty slights or misbehavior. Pete Wilson and Jinx Stewart must have really crossed the line somehow. Standish grew totally serious and in a tone that boded ill for someone asked, "What have they done?"

 

She didn't pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. "Do you want the list alphabetically, chronologically, or in ascending order of severity?"

She leaned back in her chair, pinched the bridge of her nose, and tried to calm herself down.  
  
Tanner and Standish exchanged looks. The water seemed to be getting deep here, something they hadn't been prepared for... but that never stopped them. Or even slowed them down much. What the hell... Chris had told them to fix the problem.

 

"What have they done?"  Standish repeated even more intently.

 

A wry smile appeared on the lady's face. "My, Ezra, is that your deadly tone of voice? The one you use in the field? I can see where felons would confess to get away from you."

 

Tanner sat up straight and leaned towards her impatiently.  "C'mon, Tessa. Stop messing around. What did those two idjits do that upset you?"

 

She sat forward and folded her hands on the desk again. "I can't prove anything."

 

"Didn't ask you to."

 

Ezra interjected, "Just friends having a conversation--no proof needed."

 

She gave in without further protest, bowing to their sincere concern and knowing they would be discreet. "Every accusation that could be made against them would come down to a variation of  'he said, she said'. I haven't confronted them yet but I've been trying to document what they've been up to. I haven't had much luck because they are cowardly, sneaky, sexist, bullying assholes who are always very careful not to risk anyone witnessing their behavior. I have a list that goes back two months."

 

Her crude language was another indicator of how seriously she was taking this matter. Mrs. Tidwell did not curse or call names... not under normal circumstances.

 

"For example?"

 

She drew a file folder out of the top left-hand drawer of her desk and flipped it open. "The most recent event was yesterday. They encountered Kate McGregor in the elevator as she was coming back from lunch alone. You know her?"

 

Tanner and Standish nodded.  Kate was one of the newest clerical employees, in her early twenties, naive, somewhat shy and very generously endowed physically in a manner akin to Dolly Parton, though she dressed to minimize attention to her attributes.

 

"Pete Wilson asked Kate if she was a farm girl since he thought he saw a hayseed in her hair.  Jinx Stewart remarked that he thought she looked like a farmer's daughter and sniggered. They kept that kind of thing going for the entire trip. She isn't very experienced with sexual innuendo and didn't understand what they were getting at so she didn't respond. When the elevator stopped on this floor, they blocked her path and she had to push past them which gave them the opportunity to put their hands where they had no business being," Tidwell stated succinctly. "She was upset and as she walked away those jackasses made mooing sounds and one of them said something about udders and haystacks."

 

Tanner set his jaw. "That the kind of thing they do all the time?"

 

"Only when they catch one of my girls on her own. And only when the two of them are together. They egg each other on. It's gotten to the point that none of the clerks or admins will go anywhere in the building alone any more if they can avoid it--which impairs efficiency and wastes time."

 

Standish raised one eyebrow. "Ah. That's the reason I had to come down here to have someone take the dictation of my report when I had my arm in the cast three weeks ago?"

 

"Exactly. If I could just get one incident in front of witnesses, I could report them for sexual harassment or for creating a hostile work environment, but the bastards are too careful." She shut the folder decisively. "It's not just the women either. With the guys, it's nerd jokes, 'accidentally' bumping into them, pushing them into walls, tripping them... Nothing major, but far beyond normal, good-natured kidding around. It's always humiliating to the victim. They always make sure there are no witnesses around before they do anything and, of course, they know where the security cameras are in the building and avoid those too."

 

"How did you find out about this stuff?" Tanner inquired.

 

"I keep an eye on my people. The sudden rash of bruises and scrapes among my guys caught my attention. I started making private inquiries a month ago. It evidently started out with little things and has been getting worse over time and escalated once your prank war started. Many of my people were reluctant to complain because they thought it wouldn't be taken seriously since they aren't field agents. Wilson and Stewart made a point of telling them that no one would care since it was 'just a joke' and questioned whether they had a sense of humor. They didn't pick on the stronger personalities who'd be sure to fight back or report them, just the newbies, the quiet ones, the insecure. I despise bullies! It just makes me soooooooo mad!" The frosty look was back with a vengeance.  If Chris Larabee was referred to as a Papa Bear, then Mrs. Tessa Tidwell was definitely a Mama Lion and her claws were out.

 

"And you've been documenting these events?" Standish asked. "I think you can prove a pattern of behavior, though it would definitely be helpful to have at least one incident occur in front of credible witnesses... or...." A wicked smile suddenly appeared. "Or if you could get it on video tape?"

 

Her brow furrowed just a touch. "What? How could we do that? I told you they know where the security cameras are, Ezra. They don't do anything in places where they could be seen or heard."

 

"Ah, but we have the best surveillance tech/field agent of the ATF available... right outside that door. With your permission, ma'am, I will invite Mr. Dunne to participate in a planning session," Standish said as he got to his feet.  
  
For the first time in a long while, Mrs. Tidwell saw a glimmer of hope. "Of course."

 

Standish went to the hallway and signaled a reluctant but curious JD Dunne to come in. He pulled a chair in from the hallway to provide another seat in Mrs. Tidwell's office and shut the door behind them to insure privacy.

 

Tessa got to her feet as JD came in and held out her hand. "Mr. Dunne, I am so sorry I was rude to you earlier. I assure you, it was nothing you did. I was furious with Pete Wilson and Jinx Stewart and when you mentioned their names, I'm afraid I let my temper get the best of me."

 

Dunne's eyes widened and he blushed a bit as he took the lady's hand... then

didn't know quite what to do with it so he just held it. "Oh, that's okay, Mrs. Tidwell. I shouldn't have... uh..."  He stalled out at that point, not sure if he actually had anything to apologize for.

 

She smiled kindly, gently took her hand back from his loose grasp, and indicated they all should be seated.  She remained silent as Standish filled the younger agent in on the previous discussion.

 

The more he heard, the more indignant Dunne grew. "Those sorry sons of bitches," he exclaimed, then promptly apologized. "Sorry, ma'am."

 

"That's quite all right, Mr. Dunne," she responded gently. "I quite agree with your sentiments."

 

Tanner suddenly broke his silence. "Why two months?"  The other three turned their attention to the tracker. "You said all this shit--begging your pardon, ma'am--started two months ago. I'm wonderin' what set them off."

 

Standish nodded. "That's true. They've always been socially awkward macho morons but they were not actively offensive until two months ago? There must have been some trigger that set them off on this destructive behavior, including their silly prank on Mr. Dunne, which was a grave mistake on their part since it drew more attention to their behavior."

 

"I don't really care why," Tanner announced. "JD, put your mind to pondering how we can catch them at it."

 

With his usual swift calculation, Dunne was already prepared with an idea. "It seems simple enough. They know where the cameras are so all we have to do is put cameras where they don't know they are and then provide them with a target. Have to be careful though 'cause we don't want them to be able to say it was entrapment or a setup."

 

"Provide them with a target?" Tidwell repeated. "Could we ask someone to put him or herself in that position?"

 

"They haven't hurt anyone badly yet so it shouldn't be too dangerous. To really seal the deal you'd almost have to have both a man and a woman to catch both kinds of things they're doing," JD mused. "Hey, I could--"

 

"No, you could not," Standish contradicted.  "Even Mr. Wilson and Mr. Stewart are not stupid enough to think you are an easy victim. They _know_ that gun is loaded." 

 

JD grinned at him, remembering their conversation at The Saloon about 'the most dangerous gun' and that he was one of them.

 

Mrs. Tidwell looked a little puzzled by that remark, but stayed on topic. "Would it be best to ask one of their prior victims? Or someone new?"

 

"It would have to be an irresistible target," Standish mused.  "Kate might be a good choice for the girl. Her figure always draws attention--"

 

"She isn't dressing for attention," Tidwell snapped. "She can't help having--"

 

"I know, Tessa," Ezra said soothingly. "She can only minimize her--her large mammaries so much and it's not fair that men are boorish and make her feel uncomfortable."

 

JD wasn't sure what he found more astonishing--that Ezra had said the word 'mammaries' to a lady or that Ezra was apparently comfortable enough with the formidable Mrs. Tidwell to call her by her first name. He did just manage to keep his jaw from dropping.

 

Standish continued, "But I think the remarkably attention-getting figure of Miss McGregor might provide them with an excuse. I think we should get two new victims for them, victims they can't accuse of provoking their inappropriate reactions."

 

"So we want someone they can't keep from pickin' on, but someone who can handle it?" Vin asked, seeking clarification. "But someone who won't just up and smack them upside the head?"

 

"Sort of like an undercover assignment?" JD said. "It would have to be someone they wouldn't recognize. Someone who isn't usually in the office when they are. What about the tech and clerical night staff?"

 

Tidwell said, "Miss Ardmore!" 

 

At the same time, Standish said, "Mr. Radley, of course."

 

They exchanged glances and evidently were in agreement.

 

"Who are they?" Tanner inquired.

 

"Arthur and Peggy work the night shift in the IT and research/records departments. Most times they're gone by the time we get to work and come in after we've left," JD clarified. "I met them when we were upgrading the servers for backup. Arthur may be the only guy in the world who talks less than Chris and if you go just by appearances, he _looks_ like a 90 pound weakling."

 

"You saw Miss Ardmore in the elevator last month, Mr. Tanner," Standish said. "The day of the Hansen bust when we were leaving around midnight. The Goth? Barely five feet tall, dressed in more black than Mr. Larabee, but with a heavy application of eye makeup, two inch eyelashes and six inch stiletto heels on her boots."

 

Tanner shuddered. "She was a scary little thing. Had claws on her hands. And she was looking at you like you was the last piece of candy in a box."

 

Standish shrugged. "She may have developed a bit of a crush on me."

 

"You could say that," Tidwell stated, with a hint of amusement at the undercover agent's gift for understatement. Saying that Peggy had a crush on Ezra was the equivalent of saying the ocean was wet. She'd been absolutely smitten by his good looks and very good manners since he'd played the hero by physically discouraging an unwanted suitor who'd followed her to work late one night and accosted her in the garage just as Standish was leaving the building. "Anyway, the Goth look was last month. She got interested in anime this month. She's going for the Sailor Moon look now."

 

"What's a Sailor Moon?" Tanner asked with a puzzled frown.

 

"She was a Japanese anime character," JD explained. "Long blonde hair in big pigtails and bright colors in outfits that look sort of like a majorette's band costume. Oh, and lots of eye makeup to make her eyes look really big."

 

"Good Lord," Standish moaned. "At least with the Goth look they'd have made a comment. I doubt that even Wilson and Stewart would be likely to pick on someone dressed like that. They'd be afraid of being taken for pedophiles."

 

"Now, Ezra," Tidwell said soothingly, "there's no dress code for the night shift and she's just young and bored and exploring various styles. I'm sure that if we enlist Peggy's help she would be willing to take some advice on her appearance."

 

JD blinked. Mrs. Tidwell called Ezra by his first name too?

 

"And Mr. Radley?"

 

"I think Arthur would enjoy an opportunity to 'go undercover'," Tidwell said. "I've always found them both to be very amiable and willing to help in getting the job done, though they do tend to march to the beat of a different drummer. It's almost three so they both should be awake again I think. Let me call them. Should I ask them to come here?"

 

"No, ma'am," JD replied. "Wilson and Stewart might get suspicious if they see them coming in here."

 

"I doubt that they'd see them, but then where shall I tell them to meet us?"

 

"We could kill two birds with one stone," Vin opined. "Tell 'em to meet us at The Saloon. We need to talk to Inez anyhow."

 

*******************************************

 

Less than half an hour later the four of them-- since Mrs. Tidwell refused to be left out of the planning--walked into The Saloon.  Ezra had made a quick call to Chris Larabee to inform him that they were still working on solving the problem --and then hung up before Larabee could demand they 'get their asses back to work' or make any inquiries. 

 

Standish could make a case they were providing him with 'plausible deniability'. Of course, Standish could make a rational argument for almost any position given a moment to think and motivation to do so.

 

In this case, Chris was busy with paperwork and he really didn't want to know what was going on, as long as he got the results he wanted so he didn't bother to call back or hunt them down.

 

Inez Recillos was at the hostess station when they walked in and she immediately eyed them with suspicion, prepared for an argument. She relaxed when Ezra flashed her his shark's grin and gestured towards the private room off to the side of the restaurant area. She gathered up a few menus and led the small party to be seated there, wondering about the identity of the lady. Team Seven usually traveled alone. The only member who ever brought a woman to this place was Nathan Jackson and that was his wife Rain.

 

Standish made the introductions as they took their places around a large round table in the farthest corner of the room from the entrance. "Miss Recillos, this is Mrs. Tidwell from the Admin Department. We are expecting two more guests who should be arriving shortly. I am sure you will be pleased to hear that we are, in fact, preparing for the downfall and possible total destruction of Pete Wilson and Jinx Stewart. Would you care to join us and share your intel on our targets and lend us your wisdom in our planning?"

 

Inez smiled demurely but with a wicked hint of glee in her eyes. "But of course, Senor Standish. It would give me great pleasure to do so. Let me tell Jamie that he is in charge for now and I will bring your other guests back, along with your drink orders."

 

"Oh, our guests? A very short young woman and a tall, thin young man," Mrs. Tidwell explained.

 

Inez nodded, took the drink orders and left the room.

 

"This is a very nice place," the lady said, taking a look around. "I like the authentic Western decor."

 

"You've never been here before, Mrs. Tidwell?" JD asked.

 

She smiled at the young man. "No. I don't usually socialize with my co-workers outside the office."

 

Before anyone could respond or think of another conversational gambit, Inez was back with their drink orders and their soon-to-be fellow conspirators.  The tall, thin, blond man trailed behind the two women as if trying to remain unseen, his eyes darting around to take in his surroundings.  The very short and energetic young woman made a rapid beeline for Ezra and screeched to a halt next to him as he and the others got to their feet to greet them. 

 

"Hello, Mr. Standish," she breathed, looking up at him with utter adoration and a stunningly bright smile.  She had taken Mrs. Tidwell's advice and toned down her look--but evidently her standards of  'toned down' didn't match anyone else's.  The eye makeup was still a bit over the top, with thick black eyeliner, three different shades of green eye shadow lining her eyelids vertically in a rainbow of sorts and long false eyelashes that fluttered as she batted her brown eyes at her favorite ATF agent.

 

JD puzzled it out as he took in her red cheerleader costume and the long black hair held back with a headband. "Oh, now you're on to Heroes?  Claire Bennett?"

 

His contribution earned him a narrow-eyed frown of displeasure before she pointedly turned a cold shoulder towards him and resumed smiling up at Ezra, who was pretending not to notice anything out of the ordinary.

 

Arthur Radley had a knowing smile on his thin face and shook his head slightly at JD who subsided and decided to leave it alone since no one else seemed to care.

 

Vin Tanner, who didn't watch much television, was in the dark as to the girl's new identity but was slightly in awe of her garish use of makeup. He usually looked beyond the surface to see what a person was really like, but couldn't quite make it past the dazzlingly colorful outward appearance this time.

 

The group took a few minutes while drinks were delivered, further introductions made, and then everyone settled into their chairs, including Inez who sat between Tanner and Standish.

 

Standish took control of the impromptu meeting. "Miss Recillos, before we begin, would you please explain to us why Mr. Jackson's attempt to smooth over the events of the past week were met with such hostility on your part?"

 

Inez placed her hands on the table and clasped them together as if trying to hold in her anger.  "Nathan wanted me to lift the ban on Stewart and Wilson and allow them to return to The Saloon.  I do NOT want them here."

 

"Why not?" It was a growl from Tanner. "Did they do something we don't know about?"

 

Inez paused as she pondered how much she could safely tell the members of Team Seven without eliciting an outraged response that might lead to violence.  Not that she cared if someone, notably Team Seven, beat the snot out of those two oafs, but she did care that Team Seven might get into trouble for it.

 

Ezra could read her expression and so could Tanner. "The truth, Miss Recillos."

 

With a sigh, Inez gave in.  "They have been ill-mannered all along and I only tolerated them because the rest of Team Five are nice men and usually keep them under control. When they came in on Tuesday, there were just the two of them and they were rude to Jamie and made a nasty remark to their waitress, Norah. That was when I told them to leave and that they were banned from service at The Saloon. They came back on Wednesday afternoon, when we were closed between lunch and dinner. I was alone here and they tried to scare me into lifting my ban."

 

She quickly shot out her hands and took a firm grip on the wrist of each man as Tanner and Standish started to their feet with almost identical furious expressions on their faces. "No. They didn't hurt me. They didn't even touch me. They didn't even scare me...that much. I said they _tried_."

 

Reluctantly, the two reseated themselves and studied her. Coming to the conclusion that she was being honest, they each nodded.

 

"Those two are really out of control," Radley commented quietly.

 

"They are bullies," Inez said scornfully. "They thought if they swaggered in here and acted macho that I would back off."

 

"Proves they don't know you," Tanner said with a wry smile. "What did you do to them, Inez?"  
  


She tried for an innocent look but it couldn't outweigh the evil glint in her eye. "I got out my shotgun and put it on the bar. They left."

 

"So how are we going to do this?" Radley asked, getting right to the point.   
  
The planning session began.

 

**************************

 

Having left the situation to Ezra and Vin, Chris Larabee was just as uninformed as the others in the room when the meeting was called in the conference room adjacent to Judge Travis's office two days later.

 

Larabee's eyes darted around the room, taking note of the video setup and the presence of the leader of Team Five Josh Hartley and the internal affairs rep Bill Oakdale. Mrs. Tidwell, JD Dunne, Ezra Standish, and Vin Tanner were standing near the front of the room near the video setup. As everyone was seated, the Judge indicated with a nod that they should proceed.

 

Having discussed tactics, the men from Team Seven seated themselves and left it to Mrs. Tidwell to introduce the topic under discussion. "Gentleman, thank you for clearing your schedules and being here. I know I wasn't very clear about the issue I wish to discuss.  The issue is sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment... " She held up a hand to still the immediate reaction. She aimed her next remark at the IA rep. "I know there are procedures in place. The problem is the procedures were ineffective in dealing with the problem. The offending parties were very careful about behaving inappropriately only when there were no possible witnesses. There have been incidents occurring for the last two months in which the clerical admin staff became targets of sexual innuendo, inappropriate touching, and bullying. I have been documenting each complaint as I learned about it, but there was no evidence, except for bruises, that wouldn't have been dismissed as 'it was just a joke' or some other lame excuse."

 

Judge Travis scowled fiercely. "I would not have accepted those excuses, Mrs. Tidwell."

 

She nodded her acceptance. "The problem was that each victim thought he or she was the only one up until about a month ago, when I began making inquiries. They were hesitant to speak up for fear of being disbelieved, dismissed, or ridiculed for their inability to handle the 'humor' of the field agents."

  
"Field Agents?" Oakdale inquired. He turned his frown on Standish, Tanner, and Dunne. The Internal Affairs Dept. had a thick file on two of the three. "Are you saying that Team Seven--?"

 

Ezra and Vin didn't bother to react. JD jumped to his feet indignantly, only to subside back into his chair when Mrs. Tidwell pushed him gently downward with a hand on his shoulder.  "Of course not," the lady admonished. "These _gentlemen_ became aware of my concerns and helped me find a way to get evidence that would allow these--" She hesitated.

 

"Misogynistic malcontents," Standish supplied.

 

"Assholes," Tanner muttered.

 

"--troublemakers to be dealt with," Mrs. Tidwell continued quickly. "We found a way to get evidence of what they've been doing."

 

"What was your methodology?" Josh Hartley had a feeling he knew exactly which men they were talking about.  As Team Five leader, he'd done his best to whip Stewart and Wilson into shape, but knew their limitations.

 

Ezra Standish stood, opened a folder, and passed out copies of two photos, one male, one female. "We provided our miscreants with targets in a place where they would think themselves unobserved. They knew all the blind spots in the current security surveillance and made use of them for their activities. Mr. Dunne installed security cameras in these blind spots which were carefully concealed. As far as our villains knew, there was no surveillance in these areas, therefore they felt free to indulge in their usual bullying tactics."

 

Oakdale studied the photos for a moment. The young man was tall and very thin, wore thick glasses, and was dressed in ill-fitting clothing. He would easily be stereotyped as a computer nerd from the IT Department.  The other photo was of a very short young woman, modestly dressed in a skirt and blouse. She looked like any other secretary or clerk in Admin. Totally professional and totally unremarkable.

 

None of the others could truly appreciate the effort it had taken to ensure that Peggy Ardmore looked that way. Tessa Tidwell had made an effort to explain to the girl that they wanted her to blend in, to resemble all the other admins who worked the day shift and dressed and wore makeup according to a fairly strict dress code.  Having succeeded only in distressing Miss Ardmore, who prided herself on her unique and colorful appearance, she'd sighed and turned her eyes to Ezra Standish.

 

He'd proven himself equal to the task.  He took Peggy's hand, holding it gently in his own as he noted in a honeyed drawl that he was aware that such subterfuge would require a sacrifice on her part. What really 'sealed the deal' was his comment that by removing the extremely colorful makeup and creating a subdued appearance, it would allow everyone to observe and admire her natural loveliness, unhindered and undistracted by man-made artifices such as makeup and false eyelashes. She'd not quite swooned before agreeing wholeheartedly and turning back to Mrs. Tidwell, this time listening to her instructions.

 

"Who are they?" Oakdale asked.

 

"Peggy Ardmore and Arthur Radley, members of the clerical night staff. We chose them because they would not be recognized but they are the types of people who have most commonly been the victims of bullying," Tessa replied. "You will agree that there is nothing provocative about their appearance?" 

 

The men seated around the table all agreed to that statement.  Hartley felt he owed it to his men to make an attempt to insure fairness. He was the only one to ask a question. "They weren't entrapped?"

 

"No," Standish replied evenly.  "Our 'victims' were instructed only to make themselves available in the vicinity. They pretended to be carrying out typical admin errands around the building."

 

"Should just watch the tape," Tanner muttered.

 

"I think that would answer most questions." Mrs. Tidwell nodded to JD Dunne who activated the video controls.   
 

The security blind spot was located near the vending machines on the fifth floor, near the elevators.  The tape began to play.

 

 _Wilson and Stewart were leaning against the wall there, sipping from drink cans and watching the traffic in the hall.  The two of them were alone in the hall when_ _Peggy_ _came along, carrying a stack of folders in one arm and heading towards the elevators. She paused momentarily, juggling the folders to balance the load._

_"Hey, Jinx, this one's short enough, she wouldn't even have to kneel,"_ _Pete_ ___Wilson_ _was heard to say while making a crude gesture towards his crotch. His friend snorted and both ran their eyes up and down the lady's body._

_The young lady stiffened and lifted her head to look directly at them. "I beg your pardon?"_

_Jinx took a step toward her, leering at her with no hint of subtlety. "Aw, no need to beg our pardon. You haven't even done anything...yet. You looking for some fun?"_

_Ardmore_ _followed instructions to the letter and didn't lose her temper. "If I were looking for fun, I wouldn't be doing it here. I'm working. And shouldn't you be doing something more worthwhile than bothering girls in the hall?"_

_She started past the men, but they blocked her path in both directions, looming over the much smaller woman in a fashion designed to intimidate._

_  
"Don't go away mad, little girl. You've got the tits to prove you're of age,"_ _Pete_ _growled, one hand reaching out to touch her chest._

_She took a step back away from him which caused her to bump into_ _Stewart_ _who took the opportunity to caress her butt before she jumped sideways away from him and turned to face them both.  "Don't touch me. Get away from me. I could report you for harassment."_

_"Yeah, right," Jinx_ _Stewart_ _mumbled. "Like anybody'd believe a little tease like you... we're field agents. You should take it as a compliment that we'd even be interested in you."_

_"Get out of my way,"_ _Peggy_ _demanded. "I don't find your humor funny or your attention flattering. Leave me alone." She started back towards the elevator, only to flinch when_ _Wilson_ _popped her on the ass just before she got out of reach.  She jabbed at the elevator button. "You jerk. Keep your hands to yourself."_

_The two men snickered as she got into the elevator and the doors closed. They resumed their positions leaning against the wall in what they thought was a blind spot of the security cameras._

_Within moments,_ _Arthur_ ___Radley_ _came around the corner into the hall. He was studying a document as he walked, paying no attention to the two men._

_Jinx_ _Stewart_ _nudged_ _Pete_ ___Wilson_ _with an elbow, then stuck out his foot in time to trip Radley, who went sprawling on the floor. He seemed a bit shocked by the fall and slowly made his way to his feet, looking confused as to how he'd landed on the floor._

_Stewart_ _and_ _Wilson_ _chortled. "Think his name is_ _Grace_ _?"_ _Wilson_ _sneered._

_Radley gathered up his papers and studied them with a puzzled frown. "Did you trip me?"_

_That provoked more laughter from the other two. "Naw, Geek Boy, the rug just reached up and grabbed your ankle,"_ _Stewart_ _replied._

_Radley shook his head and took a few steps away from them as if he was afraid of them. "I don't think that was funny. I could have been hurt."_

_"Aw, diddums hurt his widdle self?"_ _Wilson_ _cooed._

_Radley drew himself up and answered, "I am going to report this. That's assault."_

_Before he could walk away,_ _Stewart_ _had his back pressed against the wall and a very large forearm pressed across the young man's throat. "It was joke, moron. Can't you take a joke?"_

_Radley was having difficulty breathing and shook his head._

_"I don't think you want to report this, buddy,"_ _Wilson_ _sneered.  "Tattletales lead accident prone lives."_

_"Yeah,"_ _Stewart_ _added, easing up the pressure and stepping away from the young man slumped against the wall. "Next time it could be a lot worse. You could 'accidentally' fall down the stairs. We're field agents. Nobody would believe you. The bosses want to keep us working. You geeks are a dime a dozen. You understand me?"_

_Radley nodded weakly and slowly limped towards the elevators._

 

JD Dunne shut off the video feed.  There was a momentary silence in the room, then almost everyone began to speak at once until the judge slapped his hand down on the desk. "Enough. Mrs. Tidwell, would you say that these incidents are representative of the other complaints you have in your file?"

 

Tessa nodded and passed a small stack of papers to Standish to pass around the table. "These kinds of things have been going on for the last two months. This is the full list of incidents that I've been able to get my staff to admit to. It was especially difficult for the men to come forward for fear of being ridiculed."

 

"Stewart and Wilson obviously succeeded in making them feel inadequate, intimidated, ashamed," Ezra added. "They feared reporting what could seem to be minor confrontations because each man thought he was the only one being harassed in this manner. Once they learned that this was a pattern of behavior, the victims were more willing to admit to being bullied."

 

Tanner said, "We also put in what they did at The Saloon that pissed Inez off and got them banned."

 

Judge Travis, Oakdale, Larabee and Hartley skimmed their copies of the list which was several pages long. "Two months?" Hartley asked. He shook his head slowly, anger burning in dark eyes.

 

Mrs. Tidwell interjected, "In the past they may have been rude or brusque in dealing with the admin staff but to my knowledge it was never anything more until two months ago. I think they bring out the worst in each other, encourage each other to go farther each time."

 

"Is the time period significant, Agent Hartley?" Travis inquired.

 

"Quarterly evaluations," Larabee said quietly.

 

Hartley met Larabee's eyes. "Yes. And, unfortunately, Jinx's wife chose that week to leave him and file for divorce. I'm sure that added fuel to the fire. The marriage was in trouble for a long time, even before he transferred to Denver. I think the move made it worse. From what I've heard, she's a very bitter and angry woman."

 

"And Wilson?" Larabee asked, allowing Hartley the opportunity to clarify.

 

The Team Five Leader sighed. "He's always had anger management issues. He had several reprimands in his file before he transferred to Denver. Doesn't get along with anyone other than Jinx."

 

The Internal Affairs officer cleared his throat. "I assume you attempted to deal with these issues?"

 

Hartley clenched his jaw. "I followed procedures. I attempted to get them to tell me what was going on when I discussed their evaluations. Neither of those guys are comfortable talking about anything that matters. They shut down or cop an attitude. I suggested marriage counseling to Stewart but he shrugged it off. I warned Wilson if I received one more complaint about his bad attitude he was going to be sent to Anger Management Counseling, involuntarily. There are several written warnings from me in their files."

 

Judge Travis got to his feet. "I think our course of action at this point is something that should be discussed in private. Mrs. Tidwell, Agents Standish, Tanner and Dunne, we thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Please be assured that these men will be dealt with and such behavior will not be tolerated."

 

Effectively dismissed, the members of Team Seven and Mrs. Tidwell left the conference room and made their way to the elevators.

 

"It's almost quittin' time, Cowboy," Tanner drawled. "You want to give the others a call and tell 'em to meet us at The Saloon? We told Peggy, Arthur and Inez we'd fill 'em in."

 

Tessa Tidwell looked at Ezra Standish and mouthed, "Cowboy?"

 

He shrugged an elegant shoulder and assumed an innocent expression as Larabee whirled on him. Satisfied that Standish was as quelled as he ever was, Larabee turned his attention back to Tanner. "I suppose it would be better not to discuss it here in the building." He drew out his phone and made the call.

 

Twenty minutes later Team Seven and Tessa Tidwell joined the two 'victims' and Inez who were seated comfortably in the private room at The Saloon.  Predictably, it was Peggy Ardmore who bounced out of her chair and came forward to greet Ezra... and the others. They were an afterthought and it showed. Looping her arm through his, she led him back to the table, chattering all the while. "So did it work? Did we do good? Are those creeps going to get it?"

 

Nathan who was bringing up the rear with Josiah and JD looked puzzled. "Who is that?"

 

"That's Peggy Ardmore," JD replied.    
  


Josiah raised an eyebrow in bemusement.  Nathan was less subtle. "That's _Peggy_ _?_ I'd never have recognized her looking like a normal girl. She's really pretty under all that goop she usually wears. How did you get her to--"

 

"Ezra," JD explained quickly. "He talked her into it."

 

Standish took it upon himself to make introductions all around as they seated themselves and helped themselves to the drinks and snacks Inez had provided on the table. He quickly brought everyone up to date on the plot and its consequences with an uncharacteristic brevity. 

 

"So what do you think will happen to those two?" Nathan inquired.

 

Larabee had been considering that. "Definitely split them up. I'd think the judge will require them to get some psychological counseling if they want to keep their jobs, and most probably a transfer."  
  
"Nobody will miss 'em," Tanner opined. "Could send one of 'em to Alaska and the other to Timbuktu. Or even worse... Houston. The humidity would kill 'em if the traffic and smell didn't."

 

"Well, hell, boys," Buck exclaimed loudly, "if I'd known what you were up to, I'd have helped. I'd like to have gotten a piece of Mr. Jasper Xavier Stewart."

 

'Jasper Xavier?' Peggy thought. Oh, no wonder he went by Jinx... must have gotten it from his initials.

 

"We were trying to be discreet, Mr. Wilmington, not broadcast it to every gossip in the building," Standish replied. "Rest assured, if we'd needed your assistance, we knew we could count on it."

 

JD was more interested in Arthur Radley's reaction.  "I know Mrs. Tidwell told you that their favorite trick was tripping guys, but didn't you get hurt when you fell?"

 

Radley smiled shyly and shrugged.  
  
"We weren't worried about Mr. Radley getting hurt, JD," Standish said.  "He knows how to take a fall and can take care of himself."

 

"Yeah, Boo's into martial arts," Tanner added. "If he'd wanted, he could have taken both those bozos out before they knew what hit 'em."  
  
"Really?" Peggy asked, her attention captured. She scooted her chair closer to Arthur 'Boo' Radley's and began to quiz him about his abilities and qualifications. Occasionally she even let him get a word in. The young lady was always ready to learn.

 

 

Tessa Tidwell smiled and suppressed a chuckle, leaning over to whisper to Standish. "It looks like you may be losing an admirer, Ezra."

  
"Thank the Lord," he whispered back with a wicked grin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
